When used with Sanguine Bond, this is a 2 card kill!
Nice! Thanks for the hint a few weeks before release, MaRO!
JosirisDavid
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(12 votes)
Nice~! I like the idea of using with sanguine bond. Heh
Designer_Genes
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Eh. Kinda not worth the cost, since most games it'll only drop your opponent by 3-6 by the time you can cast it. And Sanguine Bond will never be a top tier deck. not even close.
Nighthawk42
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Finished off an opponent in the Pre-release with a Blood Tribute for 2. In another game I hit an opponent for 9 with it. Strong in limited, but may be too slow otherwise.
UtterKhaos
★☆☆☆☆ (1.1/5.0)(4 votes)
I am thinking of playing a red black deck with Quest of Pure Flame.
Fredin
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
The whole sanguine bond combo sounds really nice, I can see this card becoming a great counter for decks dedicated to building up the life of their users (reverence wall centric and the like). Otherwise, the card is a bit too slow as stated by Designer_Genes. Artwork is awesome as hell too. I'll give it a 4/5 because I see great potential if someone figures out a way to cast it without paying full mana cost.
BigBoss2030
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Great card if your not planing on playing standard. put some Dark Rituals in there, sanguine bonds, some Consume spirits etc. you got a nasty life gaining deck.
Sharki
★☆☆☆☆ (1.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Could possibly work....
Pwnsaw
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Sanguine Bond is so strong in a vampire deck that this card should be in any sanguine bond vampire deck or sideboard.
Great in casual multiplayer games. I have never been disappointed to draw this.
Feels really slow - as has been mentioned, unless you're playing against lifegain (which I guess makes this the anti-Felidar Sovereign), by turn 6, you're not going to be hitting for a whole lot most of the time.
AbyssalManZero
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I like to play multi player alot... But even in one on one, you're not ALWAYS going to have them as low where it does only 3-6 points, some have some pretty good life gain decks or decks that seem to just reck in one-on-one (white deck particularly)... So, still a useful card to have no matter what, just incase if nothing else (so, yeah I guess side boarded), better safe than sorry XD Plus it's a cool & fun card!
I look forward to using it with Sanguine Bond myself!
Sanguine bond is worth it, if you're playing vampires. Lifelink, Corrupt-like effects, and straight-up gain aplenty. So if you've included a bond, you might as well run this. Not as a four-of, mind you. And it's too slow of a combo to turn it into a combo deck (well, unless you're not playing Standard, where you could find some black mana accelerant), but it's worth an inclusion for the potential 2-card win.
WER386
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Ok, the problem of this thing is CMC=6; in a more closer look the kicker cost is also a little odd unless your playing limited/block. I, personally, don't really care about it been expensive, if you guys think of it, you may let your opponent gain life like a whale for the first 6 turns and then "WOW MAN! here my combo kills you no matter your life total"; you can easily run this in a non/low-creatures deck. A must have in my Garza Zol deck.
natureboys99
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(1 vote)
If I only have one untapped vampire, I announce I'm playing this sorcery, can my opponent unsummon that vampire thus not allowing me to play the kicker? If so, would the whole spell fizzle?
Tanaka348
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
natureboys: Tapping the Vampire is a cost, and you can never respond to costs. You tap the vampire on announcing you're playing the spell, and then the kicker cost is paid no matter what happens to it.
Jinx585
★☆☆☆☆ (1.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Obviously a pretty good card in a vampire deck, but i just wish Zendikar had more flavor... Kicker is boring and random... Example: Feast of Blood you have to only control 2 vampires to kill and gain 4 (random) life... Then you can tap 1 vampire to do something as righteous as this?? One vamp can steal more than half your life but can't kill a creature on its own? Seriously, they should of made a new mechanic... But I guess thats why they made the Lorwyn block for flavor players like me
AXER
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(3 votes)
This + Kicker + Sanguine Bond = Easiest Win Ever !!!
lukemol
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(2 votes)
It's definitely stronger outside of standard. Why? Dark Ritual x2 to use it much, much earlier. As early as turn 2. Turn 1: Swap + Guul Draz Vampire. Turn 2: 2x Dark Ritual + this, tapping the Guul Draz Vamp for the kicker cost.
DeviousPie
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Anyone else notice that this is the only non-mana kicker cost in all of the Zendikar block so far?
PaladinOfSunhome
★☆☆☆☆ (1.8/5.0)(2 votes)
3.5
EnV
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Unfortunately your opponent can use instants or creature abilities to gain life on the stack. And in addition realize that if your opponent is at an odd life total they lose half rounded up meaning if they are at 27 they get cut to 1, equation for this card, (x/2+y). X is the life total of the player and y is the remainder. But who cares, if your opponent is at one you can easily snipe them down.
A3Kitsune
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(6 votes)
Topless vampire.
Dethraven
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Love this Card in any Vamp deck with Sanguine bond.
BiOhyBr
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
For the same CMC you can do the Lich and repay in kind combo which kills all players, not just 1
Azazyel
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Not really good in Standard, but an absolute bomb in casual, where the phrase "illegal cards" means nothing. As mentioned, 2 Dark Rituals + Guul Draz Vampire + this is evil, awesome, and to top it off, incredibly sexy, as the Vampire and this prominently feature shapely vampire ladies in the art (which, are, ironically enough, infinitely more alluring and tastefully drawn than this block's bikini angels. Go figure.).
DeathDark
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I have a vampire deck. I was preparing for it ever since M10. I had Child of Night, Vampire Nocturnus, and Senguine Bond waiting. I was not disappointed.
From the start I knew Senguine Bond would be its perfect pair, and soon thereafter I was able to play the combo. Yes, this may not be oh-so-fast, but my deck is focused on Vampires, not this spell. This spell is just to finish my enemy when I'm done with them, or to end a game precisely. I've never had it countered. I've never had it stopped in any way. Timing is everything, and, in the very least, you can assure your game won't last longer than 6 rounds with Senguine Bond, swamps, and a Vampire or two.
flipsyalec
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@EnV
uhm, actually, it says they LOSE half their life rounded up. if they are at 27, they'll lose half that (13.5) rounded up (14) from the blood tribute, and another 14 from the sanguine bond combo.
and also, it doesn't matter if tney gain life on the stack. this would only mean they have a greater life total before this spell resolves. it would make them lose half of their new life total, and sanguine bond would still kill them.
xRockFan
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This + Sanguine Bond = most broken combo ever. This is an automatic kill if you just have sanguine bond by turn 5 and this by turn 6. It's not fun at all. Why not say that they lose 10 life? At least then it wouldn't be a guaranteed kill.
MrBarrelRoll
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(17 votes)
So why is black the best color for lifegain, and white is the best color for removal?
what is this I don't even
allmighty_abacus
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(6 votes)
I'd tap it... ... ... ... to win.
Sironos
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Just pulled this out of a booster, yes sir! If this card was any cheaper to cast it would be broken, but as it is, it is a very nice balanced late game spell for vamp users, and fits perfectly with the life steal and bleed concepts.
Of course, this is for casual gaming. In standard, this is too slow and not worth it, especially since sanguine bond cycled out.
thegatekeeper
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
0_0 oh my i wish i had pulled one of these
mdakw576
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Malakir is almost always better than this card.
IncendiarySaint
★☆☆☆☆ (1.3/5.0)(3 votes)
wow this card is awful. think about it. near the end of the game and the opponent is at 2 life, and you topdeck this...
DacenOctavio
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I like the art.
BookTheDwarf
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
This card is powerful, but slow enough in constructed, sealed, etc that it's not a huge deal. It should totally be banned in EDH/Commander though. That format is slower than the rest and being near 40 life is still a possibility by the time you have enough mana to cast this. Seeing your life total go from 40 to 20 and watching your opponent gain 20 life is not a good feeling.
Sterling_Archer
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
"Dat ass...cannot resist...must...look ..away"
pedrodyl
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(1 vote)
I'd probably take sorin's vengeance over this most of the time, but this is still pretty beast. 4/5
Darkvayne
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(1 vote)
I like the card, really I do, however, I only see myself playing this card in a casual game, just seems a bit slow for a serious tournament. Great card otherwise.
Boglehunter
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Made a entire deck based around this card. Oh and nice as.....I mean art
Arcticus
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Can this be kicked more than once to gain extra life?
Ferlord
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(3 votes)
@ Arcticus
No. If so, that'd be Multikicker. Also, the card says "If it was kicked, you gain life equal to the life lost this way" which signifies that the kicking would activate once. It's like if there was a card that says "if it was kicked, it gains trample (or) Deathtouch (or) first strike". You can't give it double deathtouch
Comments (47)
Nice! Thanks for the hint a few weeks before release, MaRO!
Great in casual multiplayer games. I have never been disappointed to draw this.
I look forward to using it with Sanguine Bond myself!
I, personally, don't really care about it been expensive, if you guys think of it, you may let your opponent gain life like a whale for the first 6 turns and then "WOW MAN! here my combo kills you no matter your life total"; you can easily run this in a non/low-creatures deck.
A must have in my Garza Zol deck.
From the start I knew Senguine Bond would be its perfect pair, and soon thereafter I was able to play the combo. Yes, this may not be oh-so-fast, but my deck is focused on Vampires, not this spell. This spell is just to finish my enemy when I'm done with them, or to end a game precisely. I've never had it countered. I've never had it stopped in any way. Timing is everything, and, in the very least, you can assure your game won't last longer than 6 rounds with Senguine Bond, swamps, and a Vampire or two.
uhm, actually, it says they LOSE half their life rounded up. if they are at 27, they'll lose half that (13.5) rounded up (14) from the blood tribute, and another 14 from the sanguine bond combo.
and also, it doesn't matter if tney gain life on the stack. this would only mean they have a greater life total before this spell resolves. it would make them lose half of their new life total, and sanguine bond would still kill them.
what is this I don't even
...
...
...
to win.
Of course, this is for casual gaming. In standard, this is too slow and not worth it, especially since sanguine bond cycled out.
4/5
No. If so, that'd be Multikicker. Also, the card says "If it was kicked, you gain life equal to the life lost this way" which signifies that the kicking would activate once. It's like if there was a card that says "if it was kicked, it gains trample (or) Deathtouch (or) first strike". You can't give it double deathtouch